Funeral Service Ethics

Personal Ethics

- Culture: The rules, ideas, and beliefs shared by members of society of and for living and dying, which are learned directly or indirectly. - Religion: A culturally entrenched pattern of behavior made up of 1. sacred beliefs 2. emotional feelings accompanying the belies 3. overt conduct presumably implementing the beliefs and feelings - Community - Family and relationships

Codes of Conduct

- Improves your public image. - Enhances employee pride and morale. - Enhances employee loyalty. - Improves operations by encouraging open and honest communications, constructive change and workplace integrity. - People like firms with high standards

Quick Tests for Ethical Problem Solving

- Is it legal? - Is it balanced? - it is fair to all concerned? - Does it promote win win relationships? - How will it make me feel about myself? - Will it make me proud? - Would it feel good? - How would it make my parents and/or children feel? - How would I feel if it happened to me or someone i loved? - How would I feel if I had to talk about it on TV or Radio? - How would it be helpful to others?

Ethics with Allied Professionals

- Medical facilities: Sign forms, present proper authorization - Physicians: be timely and accurate with death certificate information - Organ donation agencies: be honest and factual with families - Social Service Agencies: Be accurate, timely, comply with rules. - Lawyers: Be patient with delays of legal system. - Clergy: funerals are important religious events. Clergy are in a position to make recommendation to families.

Professional Ethics

- Model code of ethics: based on profession, for example the Hippocratic Oath - Education - Regulation and legal compliance

Pre-moral Stage: Level 0

- One does not understand the rules or feel a sense of obligation to them. - One is looking to experience only that which is good, and pleasant, or avoids that which is painful or bad.

Business Social Media

- Only post authorized information - Respond appropriately to public comments

Human Resource Considerations

- Personal conduct - Training - Continuing education - Proper utilization of interns/apprentices - Working conditions - Convey a positive image of funeral service - Employer to employee: >Hiring practices >Compensation and benefits - Discrimination and harassment

Ethics in Preneed

- Personnel qualifications - Appropriation of funds - Prudent investment - Selling practices - Substitutes and refunds

Relationships among funeral practicioners

- Promote understanding and cooperation - Develop a professional image - Share information and ideas - Involvement in professional associations - Share personnel and equipment - Avoid gossip and negative statements about others in funeral service

Aftercare Services

Continue to support families after the service, but do not solicit preneed under pretense of aftercare.

Unlicensed Personnel

Employers and co-workers should not ask unlicensed personnel to participate in activities or events that would compromise the employee or the establishment

Relativism

Evaluates ethicalness subjectively on the basis of individual and group experiences. - There is no one correct moral standard for all times and all people. - Examples: Killing is wrong unless it is necessary to protect your own or someone else's life. Treat everyone with respect unless it was an evil person.

Conventional Stage: Levels 3 and 4

Expectations of social groups (family, community, and nation) are supported and maintained.

Samples of Opening Statements

In order to foster and perpetuate high ethical standards in the Mortuary Profession, each member of this association hereby pledges himself to adhere to the following rules of Professional Conduct: To the Public we pledge: To Those we Serve we pledge: To Our Profession we pledge:

Legal Compliance

Know your State laws! And follow them. Including environmental issues

Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development

Lawrence Kohlberg believed ethical standards are developed by passing through stages of moral development through life. Linked material not on test. Individuals can pass from not understanding moral reasoning at all to a point where decision making based upon moral principles becomes an integral part of one's life.

Law vs. Ethics

Laws are man made rules and regulations that govern society. Law is concerned with conduct. Ethics is concerned with motives for and attitudes towards the conduct as well as the conduct itself

Deontological Ethics

Maintains that the morality of an action is determined by its motives or in accordance with some rule; this is also known as non-consequentialism. Deontologists look for conformity to moral principles. Fundamental to this theory is that equal respect must be given to all persons.

Teleological Ethics

Maintains that the morality of an action is determined solely by its outcomes or consequences; this is also known as consequentialism. Two philosophies that often guide decision making in business are egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism defines right or acceptable actions as those that maximize a particular person's self-interest as defined by the individual. "Do the act that creates the most good for oneself." Utilitarianism defines right or acceptable actions as those that maximize total utility, or the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

Publicity and Advertising

Media: - Always give factual information - Use discretion in what is released Accurate representation in advertising including: - Warranties - Testimonials - Endorsements

Situation Ethics

Moral principles that vary with circumstances.

Pre-conventional Stage: Level 1 and 2

Moral reasoning is based on reward and punishment from those in authority.

Funeral Director Ethics

Pledges full support of the laws of his profession. Observes a high level of morality. The obligation of a funeral director to the family he serves is paramount among the ethical principles of the profession.

Customer Service

Provide equitable professional service regardless of: - Race and/or ethnicity: the cultural heritage or identity of a group, based on factors such as language or country of origin. - Religion - Lifestyle: a particular way of living: the way a person lives or a group of people live - Medical Circumstances - Socioeconomics - Culture

Accuracy and Confidentiality Records

Records of the business, of the client family, and of the employee.

Whistle Blowing

Reporting unethical behavior is looked at in two completely different views.Some feel it is an ethical responsibility to report it while others feel it best not to get involved. The paradox is that though most of us do not condone unethical behavior, we also don't condone reporting it.

Ethics

That branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such action.

Normative Ethics

The development of moral standards of conduct Examples: - Treat all dead bodies with respect - Treat all elderly people with respect. Normative ethics itself can be subdivided into two categories: 1. Teleological Ethics 2. Deontological Ethics

Philosophy

The set of values, ideas and options of an individual or group.

Meta-Ethics

The study and evaluation of the standards of conduct established in normative ethics Examples: - Why treat all dead bodies with respect? - Why treat all elderly people with respect?

Carol Gilligan

Theory of moral development in women. Gilligan believes women's perceptions of moral program rests in care and relationships, as opposed to right and rules central to the Kohlberg theory.

Ethical Decision Making

There are several authors that feel ethical decision-making in business involves more than just a concern for what is legal. Situational Ethics: Moral principles that will vary with circumstances Factors to consider: - Laws - Governmental Regulations - Employee needs - Consumer needs - Social pressure - Firm's financial status

Confidentiality

To hold certain information in trust and not disclose without proper authorization or authority. Always give advice for the benefit of the consumer. Provide honest, knowledgeable and factual information: - Disposition - Service - Merchandise - Financial - Warranties

Business Ethics

Values related to human conduct as applied to business.

Steps for Ethical Problem Solving

When confronted with a problem you believe has ethical components, there are systematic approaches to determining a solution. - Identify the problem. - Define the ethical issues of the problem. - Break down the problem into smaller identifiable elements. - Identify what options are available. - Consider the consequences of each option. - Do you need help with your efforts? - Select the best solution. - Implement your decision. - Follow the situation until you see actual results of your decision.

Personal

A category of philosophy that determines what an individual believes about morality and right and wrong.

Religion

A culturally entrenched pattern of behavior made up of: 1. Sacred beliefs 2. Emotional Feelings accompanying the beliefs 3. Overt conduct presumably implementing the benefits and feelings.

Code of Ethics

A declaration of public statement or professional standards of right and wrong conduct.

Code of Ethics

A declaration or mission statement of the professional standards of right and wrong conduct of business; an explicit statement of beliefs

The Golden Rule

A rule of ethical conduct found in some form in most major religions usually phrased "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

Ethics in Regard to the Deceased

- Removal/Transfer: Be sensitive and professional - Embalming: Consider privacy and confidentiality - Restorative Art: Do not let a lack of proficiency or ego override professional behavior. - Use discretion with respect to the discussion of the condition of a dead human body in the preparation room. This concerns trauma, deformities, condition of the body, etc. - Always secure informed consent (a formal agreement provided after receiving complete and accurate information, including alternative choices and consequences, in an understandable form) before taking pictures. - Use special care and handling of the deceased and also of cremated remains. - Document custody and disposition of personal effects.

Personal Social Media

- Social media presence should always be approached as being a representative of funeral service. - Many sites even list where the member is employed. - Social media should not be used on company time with company resources. - Any work related posts should be authorized before posting.

Making a Code of Ethics Work

- The commitment must start at the top. - There must be employee recognition of the company's commitment to ethical behavior: Employees should have input in the development, monitoring, and revision of the code. - Adherence to the code must be expected of everyone in the company and violations must be dealt with fairly for everyone. - Periodically review and revise the code. - The wording in the code must be easy to understand and training must be implemented to teach the code.

Post-Conventional Stage: Levels 5 and 6

- This stage considers universal moral principles which supersede the authority of the group. - Most American adults function between levels 3 and 5 but moral maturity is gained at level 6 when the individual makes up his or her mind about what is right and wrong.

Absolutism

An action is right or wrong because a higher authority of some kind says it is. - The determination is absolute regardless of the situation. - This theory is often found in religious beliefs. - Examples: Killing another person is wrong even if it was while protecting your own life or the lives of others. Killing is wrong, period. Every dead body is deserving of respectful treatment, regardless of who they were. Is an action right or wrong in relation to certain conditions or is it right or wrong independently of any conditions? Are the rules always the same or do they change with social and individual needs, customs, and historical evolution?

Secular

Based solely on human faculties such as logic, empathy, reason, or moral intuition.

Values

Beliefs that are held in high esteem

Professional Referrals

Beware of conflicts of interest and the appropriateness of charging for a referral fee.